Born in 1976 in Ukraine’s Kyiv region, Vyacheslav Belimenko remained an obscure businessman weighed down by more than one million euros in debt until 2014. That year, however, he relocated to Moscow in the Russian Federation, where he went on to spend the subsequent years.
According to the Meinbezirk.at, a surprising and decisive turn in his story occurred in the Russian capital. After the Russian army occupied the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, Vyacheslav Belimenko claimed to reside in the annexed territory of Ukraine and received Russian citizenship in Moscow.
Application form for Vyacheslav Belimenko’s Russian passport
For several years, nothing was heard from Belimenko — until he returned to his homeland, Ukraine. By that time, enforcement proceedings had already been initiated against him there, as he had failed to repay bank loans amounting to several hundred thousand euros.
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In the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Belimenko had no recorded business activity — no information could be found regarding his employment or any other sources of income. Yet at the same time, he purchased a property in the luxury residential complex “Fili Grad” in central Moscow. Apartments in this complex range in price from €200,000 to €900,000.
Residential complex "Fili Grad"
At the very least, this suggests that the "businessman" either had illegal sources of income, was recruited by Russian intelligence services, or acted as a “wallet” for someone else.
In 2022, Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. European sanctions hit many Russian oligarchs, forcing them to find ways to circumvent the imposed restrictions. Often, they used frontmen to continue doing business abroad.
The borders between Europe and Russia were effectively closed. Trade routes collapsed, and many European companies operating in the Russian market ceased their activities.
Who could bypass sanctions without attracting too much attention? Most likely, a Ukrainian citizen would be the ideal candidate for such a role. As a reminder: Belimenko received a Russian passport in 2014, but he never renounced his original Ukrainian citizenship.
In recent years, Belimenko obtained not only Spanish residency but also residency in Slovakia. For the issuance of documents, he submitted falsified paperwork — at the very least, he failed to disclose to immigration authorities that he held Russian citizenship.
According to our sources, Vyacheslav Belimenko is actively helping Russian citizens evade sanctions. He owns the company Smart NV s.r.o. in Slovakia and also controls several firms in Kazakhstan that serve as "intermediaries" for sanction evasion.
Information about Smart NV s.r.o.
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The legal entity Smart NV s.r.o. has acquired around 10 vehicles over the past few years.
Vyacheslav Belimenko’s sanction evasion scheme is remarkably straightforward: vehicles are purchased in Germany by the Slovak company, then allegedly resold to a Kazakh firm (which is also under Belimenko’s control). According to customs documents, the cars are destined for Kazakhstan, but in reality, they pass through European countries, then into Belarus, and ultimately reach Russia.
The Mercedes vehicles he acquired are now driving the streets of Moscow, and a high-end BMW is listed for sale on Russian auto platforms for over €200,000.
In June 2023, the EU banned the export of cars to Russia. However, for many smugglers — apparently including Belimenko — these restrictions turned into a lucrative opportunity. As of April 2024, under a new EU directive, circumventing sanctions is considered a criminal offense.
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To launder his money, Belimenko is actively purchasing land plots on the Costa del Sol. Last year, he acquired a massive property in Marbella (Málaga province). This includes five adjacent plots in the coastal zone with a total value exceeding €2 million, including taxes.
Excerpts from the purchase agreement for land acquired by Vyacheslav Belimenko
Strangely enough, no one seemed interested in the origin of Mr. Belimenko’s funds. In official documents, he is listed as a Ukrainian citizen. Notably, he was granted residency both in Spain and in Slovakia.
In his immigration applications, Belimenko concealed his Russian citizenship. To justify the origin of his wealth, he submitted falsified tax declarations allegedly filed in Ukraine.
In addition to sanction evasion, it is highly likely that Belimenko provided knowingly false information when applying for residency documents, opening bank accounts, and during other legal procedures — which also constitutes a criminal offense and may serve as grounds for revoking all Spanish and Slovak documents.
According to a source close to Vyacheslav Belimenko, he has big plans for the land — he intends to build an entire holiday villa complex. The location of the plots gives him wide design freedom: they are just a few dozen meters from the seafront.
Location of the plots acquired by Vyacheslav Belimenko
To develop such a high-value property with luxury villas, a dedicated company is required. Under normal circumstances, Belimenko — a mediocre businessman with no legitimate sources of income — would likely have hired external contractors who would receive a share of the project.
However, the true scale of the Russian citizen’s operations is genuinely shocking: in November 2024, he established his own legal entity in Spain — SMART NV DEVELOPMENT SPAIN SL.
Information about SMART NV DEVELOPMENT SPAIN SL
This company is currently developing projects to construct residential villas, which Belimenko plans to build and sell in Marbella in the near future.
It is noteworthy that on March 22, several Russian nationals were arrested in the same city of Marbella. They are accused of circumventing sanctions by falsifying customs documents to smuggle prohibited antiques into Russia.
While the average Spaniard may not earn €2 million in a lifetime, Vyacheslav Belimenko — who should urgently be investigated by law enforcement for possible involvement in smuggling, money laundering, and sanctions evasion — is actively “occupying” the prestigious city of Marbella.
The Costa del Sol has long become a haven for individuals with dubious reputations, while security agencies appear to overlook how Russian nationals continue their “occupation” of Spanish resorts using dirty money.
If the police do not act soon, Marbella could face the same fate as Ukraine’s Crimea, which was annexed under the pretext of “protecting the Russian-speaking population.” At this pace, there may soon be more Russians than Spaniards along Spain’s coast.
But this outcome can be prevented. First, law enforcement must investigate the origins of the funds used by individuals like Vyacheslav Belimenko to purchase land and real estate. We are confident that a thorough and competent investigation will reveal serious criminal violations.
We hope that following the publication of our investigation, police, immigration authorities, and law enforcement agencies across the EU will take notice of Vyacheslav Belimenko — a man who fraudulently obtained European documents, smuggles vehicles into Russia in defiance of sanctions, and launders money in Spain through land purchases and the construction of multimillion-euro villas.
